Prey
by Lady Dudley
Summary: When Eric and Pam travel to New York on business Pam becomes the next victim of "The Mortician" - enter Detectives Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson, SVU. E/O & E/P
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is work done to order for Aerynv who wanted a _True Blood-Law & Order: SVU_ crossover. As I am a fan of both shows it seemed like to good a challenge to resist :P Therefore the premise and the plot are all largely her work, I just put the pen to paper...so to speak. Anyways, let me know what you think!**

**_Prey_  
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_Prologue_

Pam woke up and found herself in the dark.

Normally this wouldn't have bothered her except this time she felt weak and disorientated making the dark seem oppressive and almost frightening.

A flash of a half remembered dream (or was it a memory?) made her shudder and reach her hand out to open her coffin.

Her hand hit cold steel and she froze. She wasn't in her coffin and she felt so weak there was no way she was going to be able to get out from where she was.

She was trapped.

Panic set in as she became aware of another problem: she couldn't feel Eric.

Every time she tried to reach out to him she was met with nothing, just a frightening silence. In her panic she began clawing at the steel walls that surrounded her.

"Eric!" she screamed.

No response.

Nothing, except an almost deafening silence.

Her panic eventually worked itself out and she collapsed, exhausted in a sobbing, broken mess.

Her worst fears had been realised: she was trapped and she had no way of knowing where Eric was.


	2. Chapter 1

**_Twenty-four hours before_**

"Did you bring me here as your business partner or your date?" Pam demanded as she stalked into the hotel room ahead of Eric.

"Both," he replied smoothly, closing the door behind him.

Pam whirled around to face him, "Then as your business partner I object to being relegated to the position of arm candy and as your date I resent that you were paying more attention to _Gabrielle_," she spat, making the name sound like a dirty word, "than to me."

Eric raised an eyebrow, "It never bothered you before," he countered, sidling up to her.

"You have never used me so blatantly as chattel before," she shot back.

"You are mine," he reminded her, reaching out to touch her hair.

Pam recoiled, "So that makes it ok?" she shook her head and stepped away from him. Grabbing her coat she headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Eric asked as she opened the door.

Pam stopped and sighed, "Home. Call me when you figure out what you want, I'm through playing games with you," she shot over her shoulder before storming out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Eric winced slightly both at the door slamming and the venom in her tone. The evening had turned into a bit of a mess, but it wasn't entirely his fault.

He was only just getting used to his new romantic feelings for Pam and, truth be told, it scared him that she had become so essential to his happiness. He had responded by flirting with Gabrielle, one of the vampires at the business meeting, hoping to counteract some of his new found emotional dependence on Pam.

A bad move since it had given one of the male vampires the excuse he had been looking for to make a move on Pam. Eric's response to the ensuing conversation had been ugly and uncalled for as he accused Pam of the very thing he had been doing with Gabrielle throughout the drive home.

In the end all he had succeeded in doing was driving Pam away. Dear Pam, who had put up with so much from him over the years, he sighed, she had not deserved the treatment he had subjected her to tonight.

She deserved much more respect.

He decided to give her some time to simmer down before he went after her.

…

Pam stalked through the unfamiliar streets of New York City without paying any real attention to where she was going, still seething with anger and hurt.

She had thought that she meant more to Eric than just his child or a pretty woman to grace his arm. She had thought that he loved her.

His irrational and, quite frankly, insulting behaviour this evening seemed to prove otherwise.

"How dare he," she spat through clenched teeth as she continued to march down the street. He had practically ignored her the entire evening and then when someone had shown her an iota of notice he'd gone completely off the deep end on the drive home.

She had meant what she said: she was sick of playing his games. He either loved her or not at all; she wasn't going to be made a fool of again.

"Hey beautiful," a voice called from nearby, "what's a beautiful woman like you doing on her own at this hour?"

Pam flashed her fangs at the irritating human, hoping it would make him go away. She felt a flicker of unease when it only caused him to become more interested in her.

The man gave a low whistle, "Hey baby, you're just how I like 'em: blonde, beautiful and vampire," he came up to her, confidently placing an arm about her waist.

"If you don't remove your arm from my waist I will shatter every bone in your body," she told him in a deceptively sweet voice.

The man's face went from seductive to sinister in a matter of seconds, "I really don't think so, sweetheart," he told her, now using the term of endearment almost as an insult as he pressed something silver into her side.

Pam gasped in surprise and dropped to her knees.

"Now that's another way I like my women," the man continued, "on her knees," he said with a cold smile as other men holding silver surrounded her. "Welcome to the Big Apple," were the last words she heard before her world exploded in pain.

…

In the hotel room Eric jumped to his feet as he felt Pam's pain and fear, but the feeling was gone in the same instant.

Panicked he tried to reach out to her, only to be met with silence.

A sick feeling washed over him, he couldn't feel her anymore.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: This is the next morning from Chapter One (therefore c. 12 hours before the Prologue)**

"Detective Stabler, Special Victims, what have we got?" Detective Elliot Stabler demanded, flashing his badge at the uniformed officer as he made his way to the crime scene.

"Blonde woman found in the alley, huge blood loss and evidence of sexual assault," the uniform responded, "that's why we called you guys in."

Elliot nodded, taking in the sight of the woman, dressed in what looked to be an expensive evening gown, dumped like trash in a dumpster.

"El," at the sound of his name Elliot looked up to see his partner, Detective Olivia Benson, coming towards him. "What have we got?" she asked as he came to join him.

"Looks like a rape-homicide," he told her, regarding the dead woman again.

"She looks so young," Olivia commented crouching down next to the body.

Elliot nodded, "I know," he replied, trying to stop the image of his own daughters from popping into his mind as they invariably did when the victim was young, especially if she was blonde.

"Who found the body?" Olivia asked the uniform who hovered nearby as she stood up.

"An elderly couple taking their morning walk," he replied, nodding his head over in the direction of the couple in question.

"I'll talk to them, you wait for the Melinda," Elliot said, somehow making the suggestion sound like a command as he moved off.

Olivia recognised his need to distance himself from the body and simply nodded in agreement before turning to greet Melinda Warner, the Medical Examiner.

"I'm Detective Stabler from Special Victims," Elliot said as he drew level with the elderly couple, flashing his badge as he did so, "I understand you found the body."

The couple nodded, "The poor dear," the woman commented, "and you're from Special Victims, what does that mean exactly?" she continued.

"That means it was a sex crime," her husband explained, the woman made a sound expressing both sympathy and shock as she shook her head.

"The poor dear," she murmured again.

"I didn't notice her at first," the man continued, putting a comforting arm about his wife as he did so, "Meryl saw her first."

"She was just lying there, like garbage. I couldn't believe my eyes, such a pretty girl," the woman, Meryl, commented. She looked up at Elliot, "Who would do such a thing?"

"I don't know," Elliot told her seriously, "but I intend to find the man who did."

Elliot spoke to the couple for a few moments longer, but they really had nothing more substantial to add and he wrapped up the conversation. Olivia sidled up beside him.

"Melinda's having some difficulty establishing a time of death, she said we should wait for her autopsy results, which won't be until tomorrow. New autopsy protocols," she explained at his confused expression.

Elliot nodded as he began to lead the way out of the crime scene and back to where his car was parked.

"I guess we should try and find out who our Jane Doe is so that we can contact her family," Olivia commented as they both got into the SUV.

Again, Elliot just nodded in agreement as he started the engine.

They travelled back to the precinct in silence for a few blocks before Olivia broke the silence. "El?" he glanced across at her, "Melinda said she lost a lot of blood but…"

"…there wasn't much at the crime scene, I know," Elliot said, finishing her thought.

"You don't think…?"

Elliot shrugged, "I guess we can't rule out the possibility," he sighed, "we'll chat to Vlad later," he told her.

Olivia fought the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth, "You know that Vladimir hates it when you shorten his name like that," she admonished him.

Elliot gave her a cheeky grin, "I know."

She shook her head, "You're so full of -"

"Charm? It's true," he interrupted with a sideways grin.

Olivia raised an eyebrow, "Whatever you say," she said, "it _was_ much nicer than what I was going to use."

"And probably more user friendly," he agreed, checking the traffic before making a turn.

Olivia's only response was a chuckle.


	4. Chapter 3

**_Present_**

Pam fought to control her breathing as she contemplated the confined space that she found herself in. Eric had always found it amusing that she was slightly claustrophobic, but she had never had any real problems since he had always been there with her.

Now she was alone and this, coupled with her claustrophobia, was causing her to have trouble breathing.

Pathetic, she knew, as she didn't even need to breathe.

_Focus, Pam, focus_, she told herself, closing her eyes. _What is the last thing you remember?_ She asked herself sternly.

_Fear…silver chains…hands grabbing her, tearing at her clothing…weakness…blood…so much blood, but it was all her own…where was Eric? Why didn't he come for her…?_

Her eyes snapped open at this last, painful thought and she focused on the steel walls that surrounded her in an attempt to distance herself from the pain.

She suddenly realised where she was; the smell of death and disinfectant could only mean one thing: she was in a morgue.

Again she panicked, how were they to know she was a vampire? If they cut her up for an autopsy and she lost more blood it could kill her…what could she do?

Her panicked thoughts were cut short as she heard the door next to her head open and she felt herself being pulled out. Blinking in the sudden light it took a few moments to take in her surroundings.

Her eyes focused on the face of her would be rescuer who stood over her and she froze.

"Hello darling," drawled an all too familiar voice, "miss me?"


	5. Chapter 4

**_Earlier that evening _(i.e. just before Chapter 3)  
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"I hear you want to talk to me?" a deep voice said, causing both Elliot and Olivia to jump.

"Vladimir," Olivia admonished, recovering first, "didn't anyone ever tell you not to sneak up on people?"

Vladimir smiled, "I'm sorry," he said, looking more amused that contrite, "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Sure you didn't," Elliot muttered, Olivia shot him a look.

"We found this woman in an alley this morning," Olivia explained, showing him crime scene photos that were pinned to the board that she had Elliot had been studying moments before. She cleared her throat, wary of giving offense, "The woman had been," she coughed, "drained and we were wondering whether this could be a vampire killing."

Vladimir studied the photos and shook his head, "No."

"No?" Olivia asked in surprise.

"What do you mean no?" Elliot demanded at the same time.

"This isn't clean enough for a vampire killing," Vladimir replied smoothly, "besides, no vampire would leave their victim in such an obvious location. This looks like the work of the Mortician."

Elliot and Olivia regarded him with matching confused expressions.

"The Mortician is a particularly nasty brand of drainer that I have been following for months now," Vladimir explained, moving to a nearby computer. "Your victim looks like his type: blonde and pretty, if she's a vampire than we're definitely on to him."

"Why is he called the Mortician?" Elliot asked, moving to join him at the computer.

"Because he steals his vampire victims back from the mortuary," Vladimir explained patiently as the three of them watched Vladimir's computer program run through various female faces. "This program was compiled by a vampire in Louisiana, in theory it's a database of all the vampires living in America."

"In theory?" Olivia questioned.

"Not everyone wants to be known," Vladimir explained as a photograph popped up on the screen. "We have a match," Vladimir announced, "Pamela Swynford De Beaufort," he told them, reading the information off the screen.

"Does it say who her family is?" Elliot asked.

Vladimir chuckled, "Not exactly, but I have her Maker's details here. Eric Northman, he's a Sheriff in Area Five of Louisiana."

"A sheriff? Is he in law enforcement too?" Elliot asked as Vladimir stood up.

"Not exactly," Vladimir replied cryptically, "but our first port of call is the morgue, not Eric Northman. Otherwise we may not have a vic for much longer," he continued at Olivia's questioning glance, "and Mr. Northman may no longer have a child," he added leading the way out of the squad room.

They reached the morgue in good time, but it soon became apparent they were too late to stop the Mortician from claiming his latest victim. All three detectives paused in the doorway as they took in the sight of the hatch that had been broken into.

Vladimir sniffed the air, "She was a vampire all right, but now that the Mortician has taken her I'm afraid that when we next see her she may have met her final end."

"Her final end?" Elliot questioned, still staring in defeat at the hatch.

"She'll be dead," Olivia explained flatly.


	6. Chapter 5

**_Present_ (from now on there is no more fiddling with the timeline, it's now all in the present) :)_  
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Eric sat as still as a stone in his hotel room, his eyes were closed and his hands were folded neatly in his lap. Outwardly he was the very picture of calm; inwardly he was straining desperately with every fibre of his being to reach out to Pam.

So far, his attempts had failed, but he wasn't willing to give up.

He couldn't.

She wasn't just his child any more, she was so much more than that – always had been if he was truly honest with himself – and he couldn't lose her.

A knock at the door broke his concentration and he went to answer it.

If he was hoping to find Pam on the other side of the door he was soon disappointed, three people – two humans and one vampire – stood on the other side of the door.

"Mr. Northman, my name is Vladimir; I am the vampire attaché to the Special Victims unit of the State of New York," the vampire introduced himself, "these are my colleagues, Detectives Stabler and Benson," he continued, gesturing to the man and woman beside him in turn. "May we come in?" he asked politely.

Eric stepped wordlessly aside, feeling an unaccustomed sense of dread.

"I'm afraid we must inform you of an incident involving your child, Pamela Swynford De Beaufort," Vladimir told him, a touch of compassion touching his otherwise even tone. Elliot moved ever so slightly in front of Olivia as Vladimir continued, confirming Eric's suspicion that whatever he was about to hear, he wouldn't like it.

"She was found in an alley this morning disfigured, drained and showing signs of a sexual assault," Vladimir continued, pausing at Eric's snarl, "we think she is the latest victim in a series of attacks by the Mortician."

Eric didn't particularly care about the other victims, his only thought was of Pam and seeing her as soon as possible, "Where is she?" he asked through clenched teeth.

Vladimir looked a trifle uncomfortable, "I'm afraid she's gone."

"_Gone?_" Eric snarled with barely contained fury, causing Olivia to take an involuntary step back, just as Elliot moved instinctively in front of her. "What do you mean 'gone'? How can she be gone?" Eric continued, oblivious to the humans and focusing solely on Vladimir.

"The Mortician broke into the morgue and took her before we could get to her," Vladimir explained, trying to pacify him.

Eric didn't want to be pacified, "Don't you people have security or something to prevent this?" he demanded, eyes flashing dangerously as he looked between the detectives.

"The guards were doing their rounds in a different part of the building and the M.E. who was on duty was stuck in traffic and hadn't arrived yet," Elliot explained, plucking up the courage to speak to the enraged vampire.

"So he was able to just slip in and steal my Pam?" Eric seethed, turning eyes dark with suppressed rage in the detective's direction.

Elliot forced himself not to baulk at the sight, "I'm sorry," was all he could find to say.

Eric's face twisted into a cruel smile, "No you're not," he told him, "not yet," he added, taking a threatening step towards him.

"Elliot!"

Olivia's warning was enough to check Eric in his tracks, clenching his fists Eric was suddenly on the other side of the room, staring rigidly out of the window. "Thank you for informing me," he said in a controlled tone, keeping his back to them, "I will take it from here."

"I'd rather you left the investigating up to us," Vladimir replied.

Eric gave him a sharp look, "And I would rather not. You lost her once, _Detective_," Eric spat out condescendingly, "you will not do so again."

"All the same," Vladimir replied, refusing to be intimidated, "I would rather you worked with us."

Eric made a noise somewhere between a scoff and agreement which the detectives took as their cue to leave.

"If you feel anything from her, please let us know," Vladimir said as they left the room.

"That's the problem," Eric said to himself, turning to look back out the window, "I don't feel anything."


	7. Chapter 6

Sookie couldn't believe that she'd let herself be talked into doing this again.

Eric had called her the night before and explained that he needed her help in finding Pam. What he had neglected to tell her was that she would then be dragged down to a police station where Eric would proceed to accuse the entire squad room of incompetence and insist that Sookie be allowed to help.

Fortunately the police had seen Eric's little stunt for what it was: a desperate attempt to find someone to blame for what may or may not be happening to Pam. They had even agreed to let Sookie help, despite their misgivings over using a 'psychic' as Eric had chosen to introduce her.

She made a mental note to thank him for that later as she took a sip of her drink and took another look around the room, using her gift to search for news of Pam. Thoughts flittered through her head, ranging from the mundane to the downright boring:

…_I have a horrible feeling I left the oven on, I know I went over to turn it off but did I _actually_ press the button?..._

…_what a waste of an evening this is…_

…_in front of the bar, beside the bar, in front of the bar…_

…_why do we only ever get to play this game when we're undercover?_

The melancholy tone to the thoughts made Sookie forget for a moment what she was meant to be doing and glance over to where the two detectives she had met before sat. Elliot leant against the bar flirting lightly with Olivia, it had been her thoughts Sookie had heard.

The dark look she caught from Eric who was also sitting at the bar reminded Sookie what she was really there to do.

…_if only…_

Sookie frowned a little at the wistfulness in the thought that came from both detectives as she turned her attention back to the other patrons.

…_just shut up and kiss me…_

…_why do I let myself be talked into these things…?_

…_stupid bitch, oh well, soon she won't be my problem anymore…_

The dark tone to the last thought caught Sookie's attention and she concentrated on where the thoughts were coming from, trying to hear more.

…_maybe my new boss will actually appreciate the work that I do…_

Sookie sighed at the more mundane turn the man's thoughts had taken and she spotted him at the bar, taking a swig of his beer. He looked harmless enough.

Perhaps that tip they had been given really was just a waste of time.


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry this is a short chapter - it is the shortest one though :)**

Pam sat in the darkness, willing herself to calm down and, most importantly, stay awake.

She had resolved to go down fighting: they had drained her to within an inch of her life, violated her and left her for dead, but she'd be damned if she gave them the satisfaction of begging for her freedom.

She wasn't Eric's child for nothing.

But she was finding it harder and harder to stick to her resolution as she watched the sky above her gradually begin to lighten.

She was going to 'greet the dawn' only her captors had assured her that it wouldn't be that quick. Instead she would have to wait until midday when the sunlight would finally fill the whole room and she would have nowhere left to hide.

She had hoped that her inability to call Eric had been a failing on her side only but this was the second day since her attack and there was still no sign of him.

She now had to resign herself to the fact that he wasn't coming and may never know of her fate.

_Good bye, Eric, I love you, _she thought as the first rays of sunlight hit the floor and she backed up against the wall.


	9. Chapter 8

As a rule, Eric didn't dream when he was 'asleep' so the fact that he was dreaming now was enough of an oddity in itself. That he was dreaming about being a woman and trapped in a room that was gradually filling with light was a whole other level of weirdness.

_Good bye, Eric, I love you…_

The thought echoed around his brain and it took him a few moments to process the voice as Pam's.

His eyes snapped open.

Pam had contacted him. He knew where to find her.

Holding onto the fading connection to her he swiftly climbed out of the hotel bed and made his way to the phone.

Elliot picked up on the second ring, "I know where she is," was all he needed to say to have his full attention.

Within what felt like an eternity, but was in reality only a few minutes, the two detectives were at his door.

"You look like hell," Elliot commented before he could stop himself.

Eric sent him a withering look before concentrating his energy on staying awake and following them to their car. At the door to the hotel he put the blanket he carried over his head and made a dash for the car.

He could still feel the sun's heat on his exposed skin as he hunkered down in the backseat but he ignored it, he had to find Pam.

He tried to remember the details of his dream and the familiar pull of her presence in an attempt to guide the detectives to where she was being held. He knew they had to hurry; it had been her urgency that had broken the silence between them in the first place.

"Are you sure you can't be more specific?" Elliot asked, frustration creeping into his tone.

"I'm doing the best I can with what little I have, it's not GPS," Eric snapped, his own frustration evident.

"Boys, please," Olivia interrupted before their argument could continue; "this isn't helping anyone." She glanced over her shoulder at Eric, "Anything?" she asked.

Eric frowned, closing his eyes in concentration, then he felt it; his eyes flew open, "There!"

…

Pam stood on shaky legs, her back pressed up against the wall, as the sun was now only inches from her toes.

She could hear voices outside but she ignored them, it was probably just the men returning to watch her die. She figured that was the kind of sadistic thing they would enjoy.

She started as the door burst open and Eric stepped into the room.

That was when she knew she'd cracked: she'd started to hallucinate.

"Pam," was all he said as he rushed forward, enveloping her in his blanket and pulling her out of the room.

Instinctively she resisted him pulling her into the light and he pulled her more forcefully, causing her to cry out a little in pain. "Do you want to die?" he demanded.

"No," she replied, realising that this might not be a hallucination after all.

"Then come with me."

She knew it was a command and not a request when her body obeyed him instantly, allowing him to pull her from the building and into the backseat of a car.

Relief swept through her and she decided she didn't care if she was dreaming or not. Her head fell onto Eric's shoulder as she closed her eyes and, wrapped in Eric's arms, she allowed herself to finally let go.

**A/N: And now I must apologise because I have finished the story but at the moment my computer won't let me upload any more chapters - hopefully more will come tomorrow. In the meantime: what do you think?**


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: Huzzah for the computer letting me upload again! :P**

"Is this the part where I break down and tell you everything?" Pam asked scornfully, despite her obviously weakened state as she eyed the two detectives in front of her later that evening.

"We just need your side of the story," Elliot told her calmly, "anything you can remember."

"I remember a lot of things, but why should I share?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"So that we can stop him from doing it again," Olivia explained.

"I don't need your help to make sure he never does it again," Pam assured them both with a dazzling smile that exposed her fangs.

The two detectives remained unmoved, "This man kept you captive for two days, don't you want to catch him?" Elliot asked.

"Yes," Pam replied, "but only for revenge. Pure and simple," she said, her tone taking on a slight purr.

Elliot gave a small start as he felt her foot run up his shin, "This is just a waste of time," Pam told him, looking deep into his eyes, her tone taking on a compelling quality.

"Waste of time," Elliot muttered.

"So why don't you-"

Whatever Pam was about to say next was cut off as the door suddenly swung open, breaking Pam's concentration and the hold she had over Elliot.

"Out," Vladimir barked, "both of you. You shouldn't be in here," he added as the two detectives looked at him incredulously. "Out," he repeated, this time his tone was almost livid and the two detectives did as they were bid. Although neither of them looked happy about it.

Vladimir turned to Pam, "Miss. De Beaufort-"

"Pam," she corrected him with a seductive smile.

"Pam," he said, sitting down across from her, "I need you to tell me what happened."

"I don't _need_ to tell you anything," she told him bluntly, abruptly turning off the charm.

"I know how difficult it must be to admit that you were captured by a human, how weak and vulnerable that makes you feel, but I need your help to take this monster off the street," Vladimir told her, his voice softening.

"I can't help you," she told him, faltering slightly.

"Why not?"

"Is he still out there?" Pam asked, ignoring his question.

"Who?"

"Eric," she clarified.

"Yes, would you like me have his brought in? Would that make it easier for you?" Vladimir asked, starting to rise from his seat.

"No!" Pam cried, grabbing his hand, "That would just make it worse," she admitted.

Vladimir settled back down in his seat, "Worse?"

Pam nodded, suddenly not trusting herself to speak as she let go of his hand.

"You don't want him to see you weak," Vladimir guessed and Pam nodded again. "It wasn't your fault, Eric wouldn't blame you for this," he continued in a soothing tone.

"But he would look at me differently, he would feel that I need protection or something," Pam shook her head, "I don't need protecting, I can look after myself."

"Then protect yourself," Vladimir urged, "tell me what happened."

Pam's mouth curled into a small, knowing smile, "You're good," she conceded.

"So I've been told," Vladimir replied with a smile of his own.

Pam studied her hands for a few moments before looking up at him, finding no judgement in his gaze, only encouragement, Pam began to speak.


	11. Chapter 10

"Did you manage to get anything?" Elliot asked as Vladimir re-joined them after finishing with Pam.

"Yes, but I am unsure how useful it will be," he replied, thoughtfully.

"Can she be trusted?" Elliot asked after a moment.

Vladimir shot him a dark look, "She may be a vampire but she is still a victim, one who has suffered enough that it should secure your compassion, not your suspicion," he snapped.

"I only meant-" Elliot began, but Vladimir cut him off.

"I know what you meant, Elliot, and I'm sorry. This case just hits a little too close to home," Vladimir told him, his tone more subdued as he sank into a nearby chair.

"Because the victims are vampires?" Olivia asked carefully.

Vladimir looked at her with hollow eyes, "Because the first victim was my child."

Both detectives stared at him in shock, "Doesn't that qualify as a conflict of interest?" Elliot asked quietly breaking the silence.

"If it had been your daughter would you stop?" Vladimir asked.

"No," Elliot conceded.

Vladimir shrugged, "Besides, the nature of the attacks makes them my jurisdiction; attacks against vampires are my speciality."

Olivia reached out and put her hand over his, "I'm sorry," she said simply.

Vladimir covered her hand with his free hand for a brief moment and smiled at her before moving off, ostensibly to follow a lead.

Olivia watched him go with concern, missing Elliot's frown.


	12. Chapter 11

"You have been avoiding me," Eric observed.

"Obviously not very well," Pam commented drily as he took a seat next to her.

"Anything you want to talk about?" he asked, looking down at his hands.

"No," Pam said, staring straight ahead.

"Yet you can talk to that vampire detective?" Eric asked, trying (and failing) to keep the hurt from his voice.

"He doesn't matter," Pam said by way of explanation.

Eric looked at her, "What?"

"I can talk to him because he doesn't matter," she looked at him sideways, "but you…you matter too much."

"I'm your Maker," Eric responded, as thought that accounted for everything.

"And I don't need you to tell me how I have let you down," Pam told him tonelessly, still looking anywhere but at him.

"Is that what this is about? What I might _think_?" Eric demanded, "All I think is that I want to kill whoever did this to you, slowly and painfully," he added with some relish.

"I can take care of myself."

"That's not the issue."

"Yes it is, Eric," she told him, looking at him properly for the first time since he came into the room, "you can't keep coming to my rescue."

"If you didn't need to be rescued, I wouldn't have to."

"If you didn't care so much people wouldn't use me to get to you!" Pam shot back, her temper rising.

"I can't help it!" Eric snapped, "I can't lose you," he told her in a calmer tone.

Pam stared at him trying to find a way to respond to his confession, but he took her hand. "I've made my decision, Pam, I'm not going to lose you," he told her seriously.

In spite of herself, Pam felt one lone tear trickle down her cheek, her eyes flicked to Eric in a mixture of alarm and shame. Eric chuckled and wiped the tear away, "Even if you've suddenly gone all soft on me," he teased, leaning forward and kissing her forehead gently.

Pam settled into his embrace, relishing the feeling of safety and comfort the simple action afforded.


	13. Chapter 12

Olivia stepped into the darkened room and was surprised to find Vladimir staring at a whiteboard that was covered in beautifully rendered drawings of the seven victims of the Mortician, including Pam.

Her surprise turned to amazement when she realised that the images were comprised of writing, specifically the details pertaining to each of the victims.

"My vampire memory means that I do not need to revise the facts but I find it…comforting somehow," Vladimir explained, "I prefer to look at their faces rather than their crime scene photos," Vladimir added as Olivia came to join him, perching beside him on the edge of the desk.

"They look very similar," she commented, still studying the whiteboard.

Vladimir nodded, "That appears to be the only factor that links them, aside from the obvious," he amended, continuing to look straight ahead.

"How do you know…I mean…" Olivia began, trying to find a tactful way of asking her question.

Vladimir picked up the case file and silently placed it in her hands.

Olivia opened the file and felt ill.

She'd seen plenty of brutal things in her time but something about a person – be it mortal or immortal – being reduced to a name scrawled in ashes was truly sickening.

"How do you know that they suffered as Pam did?" she asked in a hushed tone, unsure she wanted to know.

"He records everything," Vladimir replied tonelessly, indicating a collection of video tapes on the desk.

Olivia didn't know what to say.

"My Lottie was the first," he told her, moving over to the whiteboard. "I went out of my mind trying to find her, then when I did," he bowed his head, trying to compose himself. "I couldn't understand _why_," he added in a whisper, lifting his head again to look at the image he had so carefully constructed of her, his face stained by his tears.

Olivia felt her own eyes mist over. She had known Vladimir for a little over a year now, but she had no idea that he had to deal with this much pain.

"We'll find him, Vladimir, I promise," she said, finding her voice and coming to join him.

"You should know better than to make a promise you can't keep," Vladimir admonished her gently.

Olivia put her hand on his shoulder and gave him a small smile, "Who said I can't keep it?"

Vladimir gave her a weak smile in return before they both turned to look at the whiteboard again, Olivia's hand still on his shoulder.

Neither noticed Elliot slip from the room.


	14. Chapter 13

Eric watched in amused silence as Elliot pounded a punching bag.

"I'm curious, does the bag represent anyone in particular or are you one of those brooding types?" he asked, causing Elliot to stop and glare at him.

"Shouldn't you be with your child?" he shot back.

"Your lovely partner and the other detective needed to speak to her," something flashed across Eric's face that Elliot couldn't quite identify, "I was not required," Eric replied smoothly; a little too smoothly for Elliot's taste.

"Are you sure you don't want to go a few rounds?" Elliot asked, following a hunch.

Eric gave him a condescending smile, "I really don't think your…punching bag would really be up to the challenge. Besides, I always find it more satisfying to take it out on the actual person rather than imagining it," he added with dangerous smile that showed his fangs.

"So there is someone you would like to 'take it out on'?" Elliot questioned.

Eric quirked an eyebrow, "My child has been abused by an unknown assailant, right now…I would take it out on anyone, but I would prefer to wait until I have the culprit."

"What do you think of Vladimir?" Elliot asked, abruptly changing topics.

"I do not think of him, but I get the impression that you do and he is not high in your esteem. Could that be due to the rapport I have noticed between him and your partner?" Eric asked, enjoying goading the detective.

"Olivia has a big heart," Elliot said, attempting to shrug it off as he turned to regard the punching bag. "Besides, he seems have quite a rapport with your child," he added.

Eric's features hardened slightly, "Pam is mine," he said levelly.

"You're sure about that?" Elliot asked.

"I have laid claim to Pam and Vladimir will respect that," Eric cocked his head to the side, "short of attempted murder on a punching bag, what have you do to claim Olivia?" he asked with a knowing smile before walking away.

His smile turned to a chuckle as he heard Elliot resume his onslaught on the punching bag with renewed vigour.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, a man made his way down the street towards an abandoned building.

He glanced over his shoulder to make sure that he was alone before he pulled on a pair of gloves (he prided himself on being meticulous) and entered the building.

Calmly he made his way down the corridor to a small room: he expected to find a pile of ash behind a locked door that he would then inscribe a woman's name into before carefully leaving the video detailing her ordeal next to it. Instead he found that the door had been forced open and there was no sign that the woman in question had met her end there.

He cursed and kicked at the door: this was _not_ how it was supposed to happen.

A slight prickling at the back of his neck was his only warning that he was not alone before two figures leapt from the shadows and pinned him to the ground.


	15. Chapter 14

"We've got him," announced a primly dressed brunette as she sauntered into the room.

Vladimir and Olivia looked up in surprise, "So soon?" Vladimir asked.

The woman shrugged a shoulder, "He came back to finish his work," she smiled, showing her fangs, "he didn't even know we were there."

"You did bring him in alive, didn't you?" Vladimir asked.

The brunette scoffed, "We're bounty hunters, Vladimir, not animals," she informed him.

"Some would say it was the same thing," he teased and was rewarded with her playful snarl as a dark haired man brought in their suspect.

"This is the man?" Vladimir asked, doubtful.

"He came back to the room," the dark haired man responded, "and he was carrying this," he added, tossing a video lightly onto the desk.

"Appearances can be deceiving I guess," Vladimir conceded, "thank you," he added, nodding to the two vampires.

"Any time, I'm just glad this scum will be off the streets," the brunette said, Vladimir thanked the pair again before they left and both he and Olivia turned to the man.

"You've got the wrong guy," was all he said.

"They always say that," Vladimir said with a cruel smile, invading his personal space, "I was hoping you'd want to do this the hard way."

"Vladimir," Olivia admonished him and he reluctantly backed down.

"I see she has you whipped," the man commented, regaining some of his bravado now that Vladimir had stepped away.

"Save it," Olivia snapped, "if he really wanted to eliminate you – I'd help him hide your body," she threatened, he fell silent. "Take him into interrogation," Olivia said to one of the passing uniforms, "we should go tell Elliot," she said to Vladimir.

Whilst on the hunt for Elliot, Olivia found Pam in a room by herself. Pam looked up expectantly.

"We have a man in custody," Olivia told her, pausing in the doorway, "have you seen Elliot?" she added.

Pam stood up, "I want to see him," she said, ignoring Olivia's question.

"You can," Olivia told her, "in a line up."

"I want to see him _now_," Pam insisted, moving towards Olivia.

"I really don't-"

"It will be fine," Pam interrupted, her voice becoming compelling as she looked deep into Olivia's eyes. "No one else needs to know, just you and me…" she purred.

Olivia faltered a little, "I don't know…"

Pam placed a finger on her lips, "Shh…it will all be fine."

"Pamela!" Eric snapped, causing Olivia to break out of her trance.

Pam stepped back, slightly guilty, as Eric, Vladimir and Elliot appeared in the doorway behind Olivia.

"What just happened?" Olivia asked, a little muddled from the link Pam had created.

"Pam was trying to glamour you into letting her see the suspect," Vladimir explained, sending Pam a dark look, "you could ruin the whole case by doing something so foolish," he reprimanded her.

Pam shrugged a shoulder, "It's not like I'd do anything."

"I don't believe that for a moment," Vladimir told her; she flashed her fangs at him with a growl, but backed down at Eric's hard look.

"Fine, go see your suspect without me," she muttered, crossing her arms and pouting.

Vladimir remained unmoved and led the two other detectives away. Eric, however, always found her sulking rather amusing and almost endearing.

"I can think of better uses for your time anyway," Eric told her with a sly look.

"Is that so?" she asked with a sly look of her own.

"Most definitely," Eric replied, taking a step towards her, "and look, we have the room to ourselves," he said with mock amazement as he closed the door behind him.

"Will wonders never cease?" Pam asked dryly.

"The wonders haven't even begun yet," Eric replied with a cocky smile.

However the intimate moment was broken as Eric laid Pam down and she suddenly threw him off her.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she apologised frantically, looking panicked as she hugged herself and came cautiously over to where Eric was picking himself up off the floor.

"I just…it's just…I…" she began, trying to find a way to explain.

Eric silenced her with a look before he carefully wrapped his arms about her shaking frame, watching her for any signs of her panicking again. "It's fine," he told her, once he was sure she wasn't going to attack him again, "I'll just add to my lengthening list of reasons to kill him," he added with a touch of humour.

Pam chuckled a little, as she buried herself further into his embrace, "I'm sorry," she mumbled against his neck.

Eric rubbed her back, making soothing noises, "I'm sorry I rushed you."

Pam pulled back a little, "You didn't…I wanted to…but, I-" she sighed, "it's just a mess."

"Don't worry, Pam, it's no one's fault but his," Eric told her, his face and tone darkening at the mention of the man who had reduced her to this.

As he pulled her back into his embrace he thought about all the ways he was going to make the man who did this to her pay: all of them slow and painful.


	16. Chapter 15

"I didn't do it," the man repeated for the umpteenth time.

Elliot, who stood with his arms folded in the corner, rolled his eyes: this was starting to get ridiculous.

"Then why were you there?" Olivia asked, weariness starting to creep into her tone.

"A friend just asked me to drop some stuff off for him, I don't know what you're talking about," the man said stubbornly.

Vladimir reminded himself that glamouring a suspect was illegal and took a steadying breath. "Then you won't object to a line-up will you?" he said with forced calmness.

The man looked unsettled for a brief moment before nodding his head in agreement, "I'll do the line-up."

Vladimir and Olivia stood up from the table and Olivia led the man out of the room with Elliot whilst Vladimir went in search of Pam.

He found her still huddled in Eric's arms in the room where he had left them.

"Pam," he began, his tone gentle, "I need you to come with me to see if you can identify a suspect."

Pam stiffened in Eric's arms and Eric glared at Vladimir, Vladimir chose to ignore him. "Please Pam," he pleaded, "I thought you wanted to see him," he stated, a hint of a challenge in his soft tone.

Pam raised her head to look at him, "I don't want to see him, I just want it to be over," she told him with a touch of petulance.

"Then end it," he told her, "come with me."

Pam hesitated, looking to Eric, "He may accompany you," Vladimir continued, "but he can't say anything," he added, giving Eric a warning look.

Reluctantly Pam followed Vladimir to where Olivia and Elliot were waiting, "Just take your time, Pam," Olivia counselled her as Elliot raised the blind.

Silently she reached for Eric's hand as she regarded the men on the other side of the glass, "Number four," she said finally, "he may have been there when I was attacked originally, but he isn't who you want."

The detectives glanced at each other, trying to hide their disappointment, "You're sure?" Olivia pressed gently.

Pam nodded, turning away from the window, "Yes," she looked up at Eric, "he's still out there," she whispered.


	17. Chapter 16

"Hey," Elliot said softly, sidling up beside Olivia and handing her a cup of coffee.

"Thanks," Olivia said, giving him a small smile as she accepted the cup.

"Different isn't it? Working on a vampire case, with vampires," Elliot clarified at Olivia's confused expression.

"Very different," she agreed, returning her attention to the 'sleeping' figures in the darkened crib.

"Do you know that Eric and Pam have been together for two_ hundred _years, but it has only been in the last few months that they realised their bond ran deeper than they had thought?" Olivia asked, shaking her head a little in amazement as she regarded the couple in question.

Even as they lay motionless on the same bunk it was still evident that they cared for each other: Eric cradled her protectively against his chest and Pam was half turned into him, as though he was her only source of comfort and safety.

"That's a long time to be in denial," Elliot agreed, shooting Olivia a sidelong long as he did so.

"Maybe they weren't in denial, maybe they always knew but were too afraid to lose what they had," she suggested, glancing at him in turn.

"Perhaps that's the real tragedy about the two hundred years," Elliot commented, she turned to face him in confusion, "all that time they missed out on," he clarified, looking deep into her eyes.

Olivia opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by Finn who stuck his head around the door, "That sketch from your girl might have a hit, you coming?"

Elliot and Olivia looked at each other for a brief moment, "Of course," they replied in unison as they turned from the cribs and followed Finn out, both resolving to pretend that they had really been discussing Pam and Eric.


	18. Chapter 17

They had been gone for less than an hour and Eric was already regretting his decision to take Pam with him to conclude his business dealings.

At the time it had made sense: the detectives were out chasing a lead and there was no way in hell he was going to leave her on her own. But he hadn't counted on the attention that Pam would garner and how uneasy it would make him feel.

He knew that it was all harmless fascination on behalf of the humans and that Pam needed to feel 'normal' again and was, in fact, rather enjoying the attention but he _hated_ it.

He couldn't help feeling that if he turned away from her for just a second that she would disappear into thin air or that someone would hurt her. Consequently he had spent the entire time either hovering nearby or making his presence known in a more obvious manner until the offending party got the hint.

He was quite pleased that he had had only needed to show his fangs once when a particularly stubborn human male had refused to take the hint and leave Pam alone. But it had been after that incident that Pam had called him on it why he was now relegated to keeping tabs on her from the bar.

He suppressed a start when someone lazily draped their arm around his shoulders, "I've missed you, handsome," a richly accented woman's voice said seductively in his ear.

"Hello Gabrielle," he greeted her coolly, still intent on watching Pam mingling with the other patrons.

"Didn't you miss me?" she asked, her voice taking on a sulky tone that at any other time Eric probably would have found very sexy but at the moment was just annoying.

"I have been busy," he replied absently, sitting up a little straighter as he momentarily lost sight of Pam.

"So I heard, something about your child wasn't it?" she asked, her tone dismissive, "And here I was thinking she was something more to you than that."

Eric's eyes snapped to her face, "She is more to me than that."

Gabrielle raised her perfectly manicured eyebrows in surprise, "How quaint you Southern vampires are," she told him after a moment, "you're yet to sample all that the Big Apple has to offer," she purred.

Eric had had enough: it was bad enough that Gabrielle couldn't seem to get the hint that he wasn't interested but to imply that Pam would somehow be inferior to her (or anyone else for that matter) was taking it that one step too far.

"Thank you, but I don't think there's anything here worth my staying for," he told her coolly. She stepped back from him, her hands on her hips, "I think I've had enough of the 'Big Apple,'" he told her, sliding off his barstool.

He had only gone a couple of steps before he paused to look back at a chagrined Gabrielle, "And for the record: I'm from the North," he told her before stalking off.

He found Pam a few moments later, "We're leaving," he told her, steering her out of the building by her elbow.

"What about your deal?" she asked in surprise.

"I think I just blew it," he told her, he looked back into her shocked eyes. "You are more important to me any business deal," he gave a small shrug, "and after all that has happened I want nothing to do with this city," he told her decisively.

Pam wasn't sure what to say and just followed him silently through the city streets back to the precinct.

Vladimir met them at the door to let them know that they were close – very close – to catching Pam's attacker making for two happy vampires settling down to sleep through the day.


	19. Chapter 18

For the first time since her turning Eric awoke to find that Pam had arisen before him.

At least that was what he hoped had happened.

For a brief moment he panicked: he was terrified that she might have been taken again, this idea was knocked from his head – quite literally – when he sat up to quickly and hit his head on the bunk above him.

That was when he remembered where he was and that she would be safe; using his newly regained sense of her he subtly checked on her current state as he rose (more carefully this time). He was relieved to discover that she was fine, but he would have words with her about scaring him like that.

He was just about to go in search of her when her emotions suddenly spiked and a shot of fear and unadulterated fury ripped through him.

He was in an interview room in an instant and was greeted with the sight of Pam holding a man up against the wall in a choke hold, her fangs bared as she snarled at the three detectives who crowding around her in an attempt to rescue him.

"Pamela," he said levelly, taking a surreptitious step towards her.

"It was him, Eric," she hissed without turning around, squeezing the man's neck a little tighter, "how do you like me now?" she asked, smiling cruelly when the man gasped in response.

"Pam, my love, I know you want to kill him for what he did to you," he said reasonably, "and believe me, I understand the sentiment," he added, suddenly ceasing to be so reasonable and shooting the man a dangerous look. "But you need to let him go, you kill him now and he wins," Eric warned her, his tone levelling once more.

"He's right," Vladimir piped up from nearby, "if you kill him then it will be you facing the death penalty for murder – not him."

"I don't care," Pam muttered.

Eric decided the situation had gone on for long enough, especially as the man was now turning blue, "Pamela," he began in a commanding tone.

Pam looked at him over her shoulder for the first time since he had entered the room, "Eric, please-" she began, but he ignored her.

"Let. Him. Go," he ordered.

Reluctantly and of her own volition, Pam lowered the man onto the floor and released him, taking a couple of steps back as the detectives rushed in to haul him away.

"You psycho bitch, I should have just staked you!" the man yelled hoarsely as Elliot and Olivia took him away.

"Was that just a confession?" Olivia asked Elliot with mock amazement.

"Sure sounded like one to me," Elliot replied glibly with a smug smile at the man who suddenly realised what he had said.

Eric and Pam watched until the man was out of sight, "Thank you," Vladimir said, breaking the silence that had fallen. Both vampires turned to face him, "Without your help we never would have found him…" bloody tears pricked his eyes, "I never would have found justice for my Lottie. I am truly grateful," he told them both.

Pam gave him a half smile, "Just make sure he gets what he deserves."

Vladimir's eyes glittered with malice, "And then some," he promised as he followed the detectives out.

After he was gone, Pam turned to face Eric, "You ordered me to let him go, why?" she asked, looking a little hurt.

"How could I lose you? I only just found you," Eric explained simply.

"That is the biggest load of hooey I have ever heard," Pam told him after a moment.

Eric raised an eyebrow, "Hooey?"

"Yes, 'hooey,' who are you and what have you done with my Eric?" she demanded with mock seriousness.

"_Your_ Eric?" he asked, taking a step towards her.

"Yes, _my _Eric," she replied as he came level with her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Woman, you are all _mine_," he told her, leaning in to kiss her.

Pam dodged his attempt, pretending to consider this for a moment, "I guess I can live with that," she replied and allowed him to kiss her.

He growled at her playfully as they pulled apart, "I never would have pegged you for a kept woman."

Pam smiled as she twined her arms about his neck, "Depends on who's doing the keeping," she told him huskily.

He smiled as he leaned in for another kiss.


	20. Chapter 19

"I may never be able to look at that room the same way again," Elliot admitted, still looking a little shocked as he sat down at his desk.

Olivia chuckled as she handed him a cup of coffee, "Very true, but I'm not going to be the one to break them up."

Elliot shot her a horrified look, "Hell no – as far as I'm concerned the room is theirs until they're gone."

Olivia raised her own coffee mug in agreement.

"Shotgun not cleaning the table," she said with a wicked gleam after a moment.

Elliot shot her a dark look, "You are a cruel woman."

Olivia shrugged a shoulder as she opened a case file, "At least someone's finally christened that room," she said nonchalantly.

Elliot studied her carefully, "Was that an invitation?" he asked.

Olivia gave him a startled look, searching his face. Whatever she was looking for, she must have found it because she smirked at him, "If you want it to be."

Elliot leaned his elbows on his desk considering, "And if I do?"

"Then you'll be cleaning that table twice," she told him sweetly.

Elliot stared at her in shock for a few moments, unsure whether she was joking and desperately hoping she wasn't. "Like I said, you're a cruel woman," he said finally.

She smiled at him, "I try."

**...**

**A/N: And here endeth the crossover fic. Let me know what you think :)  
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